Thursday, January 11, 2018

Guest blogger Mike on who is actually wealthy (New York Times opinion)

Commenting on https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/10/opinion/sunday/stop-pretending-youre-not-rich.html?

"I love being controversial when it leads to healthy dialogue, so here's an opinion to really stir the pot.

The overwhelming majority of wealthy and successful people obtained their assets through innovation, hard work, and strategic decisions, despite the claims to the contrary. Yes, there are a very small number of people who became powerful through unscrupulous methods, but this is not the majority that's often illustrated in an effort to mobilize mobs of people who think that something someone else has should be theirs, because after all, it's much easier to take something from someone else than to work for it yourself.

It is well known that once wealth is acquired, the excess obviously transcends future generations, so looking at an heir of their predecessor's wealth and begrudging them of what they have is nonsense because someone, at some point, worked for what they have.

The problem now is that there's this implied guilt and shaming with being successful, nefariously manufactured with its roots firmly originating in envy, and it's all nonsense. Envy is an emotion that destroys the holder, not the target. Getting over the "what's mine is mine and what's yours is mine" mentality is the first step towards a person's own success.

Intelligent people understand that by surrounding yourself with people more successful than yourself, it's a motivational catalyst to do more, and to do better. People who sit and stew in their own juices of jealousy condemn themselves to remain in place, rather than improve their situation, because they've diverted all of their energy into negative emotions and actions that intend to tear others down, rather than elevate their own situation.

Believing that equipoise is achieved by bringing those at the top into the gutter is equal distribution of misery, not success. I know a lot of people across the entire spectrum of income, intelligence, ambition, and overall success. I can say with confidence, that people create their own ceilings through the way they think, behave, and ultimately respond to situations.

Personal responsibility is the genesis of success and a happy life. As long as people continue to believe they can make poor life decisions and it's the responsibility of society to clean up the mess, we'll continue circling the drain as we have since this philosophy gained traction the late 1960's."

Let's get rid of the Department of Education

Canada is a federation of 10 provinces and three territories. Under the Canadian Constitution, provincial governments have exclusive responsibility for all levels of education. They do not have a Department of Education sopping up tax dollars to feed a massive bureaucracy, and yet Canada's students score much higher in math, science and reading than U.S. students.
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/02/15/u-s-students-internationally-math-science/

If the Department of Education were eliminated it would be a savings of $50 billion. It hasn't improved test scores and is the main reason for the high cost of college, with student loan debt now over $1 trillion, more than credit card debt of about $700 billion. (The Cato Institute)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXyJ9hpX0Vo


Guest blogger Joel comments on who is unfit, crazy or an idiot, Obama or Trump

It's  Obama's fault for feeding a Terrorist Regime who has murdered Americans. Now that is "idiotic." The fact you refuse to acknowledge Obama's own idiotic actions shows you're nothing but a hypocrite.

It's Obama's fault for doing nothing for eight years to stop the little tyrant rocket man from his lunacy and Iran for cooperating with North Korea. Obama was a weak-kneed Community Organizer who led from behind while the world went to hell because Obama did not give a damn about anyone else but his own reflection in the mirror.

Trump told a little tin pot dictator precisely what he needed to hear. That his threats are meaningless. He spoke his language right back at him. And you think it's important to rebuke Trump for that. But when did you ever rebuke Obama's idiotic actions?

Obama bends over to a Saudi Prince. Gives money to lunatic mullahs in Iran, the same scum that killed our Marines in Lebanon. Obama halts DEA actions going after Hezbollah in South America pushing drugs across our border. Hezbollah, who worked with Iran to murder our marines in Lebanon! And for what James? A failed nuke deal that insures Iran will get nukes!

This is the insanity of the left that got us North Korean Nukes! Obama's idiotic gesture to Iran's mullahs will create another crazy regime in Iraq with nukes.

That's truly insane as the left repeats the same idiotic mistakes as the past. And you want to focus on Trump factually having more power because he talked down to a truly crazed lunatic who starves his people to death. Oh the self-righteous indignation you spout. What a bunch of watered-down, Kathy Griffin whining you do.

But then, you don't care about Obama's idiotic actions that got our troops killed in Afghanistan under weak Rules of Engagement. Rules that Obama himself demanded and approved. So more Americans could die. Did you complain about those actions? No, you complain about a tweet, as if it's the end of the world.

Did you complain about Obama giving power to lunatic mullahs in Iran by putting down the people of Iran and lifting up insane nutjob leaders there. As Iranians died? No. Instead you defend Obama's past as if it does not matter.
Do you actually care about truth or peace or people in North Korea or South Korea?

Your rage and hatred only leads you to bash Trump. For a tweet. While looking the other way at real actions that led to death of Iranians, that led to death of Americans, and that will lead to a bunch of crazed, idiotic mullahs with nukes.
You're nothing but a hypocrite.

(This was addressed to an actual person on Facebook, one who claims not to be a Democrat or Republican, but who hates Trump and considers him unfit and mentally ill [the current meme after all the rest didn’t work])

Focus word for 2018

Although I didn't make any New Year's resolutions this year, I did choose a focus word--GRATITUDE.

 Yesterday at the pregnancy center I folded and put away baby clothes--the 0-3 months size. So tiny. And of course, I'm grateful for everyone who helps women in difficult pregnancies, but as I handled tiny little hand made items, I was grateful especially for all the ladies (or maybe some men?) who maybe sit alone or watch TV and knit or crochet these tiny welcome gifts. And all the church ladies who lovingly pack the layettes and leave little Bible verses and notes. May God bless their memories of their own babies or their nieces and nephews or grandchildren.



Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Speaking of the flu, as everyone is on the news

It takes more than a village to control animal influenza. Below is a list of agencies and participants in the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Preventive Medicine, Animal influenza ecology and epidemiology and research program.

Tuesday, January 09, 2018

Starting the New Year in Water Color class


http://www.uaoh.net/egov/documents/1513963531_33011.pdf

Here is the January 2018 calendar of Senior Center Activities. Yesterday I sorted through my dried up watercolor tubes, brushes, pieces of wc paper, and repacked the bag, and will take Mindy Stauch Newman's class at 1 p.m. today.

Mexico doesn’t want illegals from Central America

After reading about Salvadorans and others from Central America who come to the U.S. illegally, I can see why Mexico doesn't support the wall. They don't want those people escaping poverty and crime within the borders of Mexico (which has much harsher laws about illegals remaining there). So they want them to go north. Mexico is an extremely wealthy country--but further south is not the case. ThinkProgress recently sent a memo that Democrats need DACA in order to get the political votes. How perverse is that? I mean, we knew that the left is never about American values or security, and always about power, but to see that from a former big shot in Hillary's campaign, Jennifer Palmeri, well--I suspect she'll be asked to apologize or leave.

http://dailycaller.com/2018/01/08/leaked-memo-dreamers-are-critical-to-dems-future-electoral-success/

Many Democrats supported the wall both under Bush and under Obama.  It was bi-partisan.

http://freebeacon.com/issues/flashback-democrats-supported-mexico-border-fence/

And why do Democrats quibble over terms?  Is a fence better than a  wall?

“Where I don’t understand the pushback is, in 2013 if everybody was for the 700 miles of double fencing, but now they’re not for it because Trump calls it a wall — to me that does not make sense,” said Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, the labor union for the Border Patrol agents. “Whether we call it a fence or call it a wall, it acts as the exact same thing — a physical barrier that makes it more difficult to enter the United States illegally. I don’t understand the whole fight over this.” (quoted in WaPo)

Monday, January 08, 2018

Golden Globes 2018

Hollywood (film, TV, indies) told us that adultery was exciting and OK, that religious values were out of date and stuffy, that marriage was a waste of good sex, that divorce was the answer for a less than ideal relationship, that having children would interfere with a woman's career, that the pill was always available, that abortion was a cause for sympathy not reproach, that same sex marriage was just about loving someone, and that transgenderism was actually possible for anyone who felt like joining the sports team or using a different locker room at school.

So now the #metoo movement has brought the chickens home to roost. Women have been objectified, nullified, pacified and ridiculed for 80 years in this industry which has changed our culture at home and abroad. So the same industry that led the culture down this dark, murky road is saying No More? I think it's a little late to return to Mayberry (TV sitcom, Andy Griffith, 1960) or ring the Bells of St. Mary's (movie, Bing Crosby, 1945)







Sunday, January 07, 2018

Jennifer Cho suggests healthy cost savings for seniors

Ms. Cho has suggestions for savings in your Medicare plan, plus some healthy eating and exercise tips, and where you can find some discounts.  Check it out.

https://dealspotr.com/article/health-care-health-insurance-savings-guide-for-seniors

Do you enjoy eating out?  Are you a ROMEO (retired old men [and women] eating out) Here's Jennifer's list.

It’s important to remember that these discounts may vary by location and won’t be honored everywhere. And it’s important to always ask if there's a discount; even if there isn’t an official discount, many restaurants will be happy to offer you one.

New Year’s message from our nephew Bob

In the cold of a January night here in central Indiana, I hope each of you, my friends are spending time with someone you love, like, or respect. I hope you are engaged in great conversation, or just looking into the eyes of someone you deeply care about. If you're alone, pick up the phone and make the call you've been putting off to someone you once cared deeply for and just let the conversation flow wherever it goes. Consider how blessed we each are, that someone, somewhere on Earth loves us, thinks about us, and would be forever sad to lose you. Each one of you is important, created by God himself, and is loved. I just told you. Now it's your turn to let someone else hear this good news. It might be the most important words they hear today. Make that your gift, and may each of you receive those kinds of gifts for the rest of your lives. Hoping each of you has an amazingly blessed 2018.

Saturday, January 06, 2018

Dancing Kevin’s diet and work out

Although I rarely watch a Blue Jackets game, I knew who Dancing Kevin was, even if I didn’t know his name.  He’d take off his shirt and show his bill board size belly.  But last year he told himself he had to change, and he’s been working out and supervised by Jack Skaggs at the gym, Lifetime Fitness, where I go. (I haven’t actually seen him.)  The promo I read yesterday said was down to 196 pounds from 360 in 9 months.  This article about him is from the This Week News, and points out the health and addiction problems he had.

http://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20170220/cbj-fan-through-thick-and-thin-dancing-kevin-recounts-journey-to-health-happiness

The toughest part of a diet is keeping it off.

What happened to Mayberry in 8 seasons?

“. . . The problem lies in the fact that the Mayberry that we see in the first few seasons is systematically undermined so that by the seventh and eighth seasons it has ceased to exist in all but the dereliction of its name, the iconic image of idyllic and idealized small-town America having been desecrated and destroyed by the iconoclasm of sixties’ ideological hedonism. What is presented over the eight years and more than 200 episodes is the demise of Mayberry and all that it represents. What we witness and experience is its decay and disintegration, and ultimately its death.

This was brought home to me after I watched several episodes from the first season, in which I basked in the almost prelapsarian warmth of the benign sun that shines forth on the idealized simplicity of the small and beautiful world in which Sheriff Andy Taylor lives, and then, immediately afterwards, I watched an episode from the seventh season in which the ideal had been swept away by sixties “progressive” preachiness.

In this later episode the simple but sagacious Sheriff of earlier seasons has become an emasculated shadow of his former self, passively embracing the feminist modernism of the female protagonist as she undermines traditional values at Mayberry’s high school, encouraging her students to usher in the forthcoming summer of “love,” which would lead to the loveless loneliness of postmodernist alienation. And thus the timeless moral verities that had formed the solid foundation of Mayberry had succumbed to the quicksand quagmire of relativism, sinking without trace into the desert of the urbanized wasteland. And all with Sheriff Andy’s approval.

http://www.theimaginativeconservative.org/2018/01/decline-fall-andy-griffith-show-joseph-pearce.html

Democrats are at it again

I remember how the media chided President Bush for being a dim bulb, stupid, etc., but don't recall members of Congress going after him--at least not in speeches demanding removal from office. The Obama lapdog media shut up about that when comparing Bush's extensive reading list to Obama's i-pod selection--hip hop, etc. Trump uses Twitter the way FDR used the radio--to reach and encourage his supporters. It keeps him constantly trolling the press and his fans love it. What the media/politicians called outrageous, like the twitter comment about Obama spying on him, have been proven to be true. Democrats are deeply upset that President Trump is rolling back their eight years of "progress" toward complete socialism.  The Russia, Russia, Russia hysteria has failed miserably, so now they are going after crazy and not smart--but that's what they are. His 80+ accomplishments in 2017 are just chimeras in their exploding, failing minds. Like the ad I see on TV about the guy with dementia seeing things that aren't there.

Friday, January 05, 2018

The old system is in trouble

As I mentioned in a earlier blog, I’m using Kelly Monroe Kullberg’s book Faith and Culture devotional for morning meditations. This paragraph sort of jumped right out at me.

"In 1572 a new star appeared in the skies over Europe that remained visible for a year and a half, even in the daytime, hovering above the moon. Because the Greek system viewed the heavens as changeless, some of the learned professors refused to acknowledge the new star, calling it an optical illusion. But for everyone else it was clear evidence the old system was in trouble." Charles Thaxton, "Modern science, a child of Christianity" in Faith and Culture Devotional. (Zondervan, 2008)

This paragraph in today's readings reminded me of current events on the political, cultural, economic and international scene. Clear evidence that the old system was in trouble.

Reading, working out and socializing at Lifetime Fitness

I know from reading Facebook that some of my friends  like and participate in on-line reading groups. I just don't get it. I often don’t like the books we read in our group, but I like the people. I see them face to face. (And sometimes am surprised when I find I actually do like a book I wouldn’t choose.)  Book Club may be the social event of the week for me. That and going to the grocery store. Or maybe the gym. Like this coming Monday. The book, "The worst hard time" is really a snore. I'm waiting to hear something good about it. Maybe it would mean more if I didn’t remember what my mother told me about the Great Depression.

According to Business First apparently Life Time Fitness has made it a corporate policy not to show MSNBC, Fox News, CNBC and CNN at its 127 clubs in 27 states. Apparently they don't want political discussions or outbreaks of uncivility on the premises. There's a screen on each treadmill, but I haven't figured out how to turn it on, besides I need to finish my book, “The worst hard time.”

Today  was a trifecta. I'll went to the gym, propped this boring book on the treadmill ledge, and then when exercise was over went next door to Marc's to shop.

To meet nice people, wear an interesting shirt. I wore my Black Swamp Bird Observatory long sleeve T to Lifetime Fitness today and met a lovely lady in the locker room who is a bird watcher and she's been bird watching in that area. She's planning a trip to Ecuador to watch more birds. Now that's a serious hobby!  Then I went to Marc's and ran into Diane from our church and got a big hug. She just got back from Florida.

Music for Reading

Although I could find this by going to YouTube, I'm placing it here for easy access. The numbers following the description are times on the recording, so if I want to find Clair de Lune, for example, I can go to 40:23 by moving the timer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc7UzQB8gtI

01 Chopin - Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2 in E-Flat Major

02 Schubert - Serenade "Leise Flehen Meine Lieder" 4:40

03 Chopin - Piano Prelude No. 15 "Raindrop" 9:12

04 Beethoven - Piano Sonata Op. 13 (II: Adagio) 14:47

05 Chopin - Waltz Op. 69 No. 1 in A Flat major 19:57 06 Bach - Violin concerto in E Major (II: Adagio) 24:47

07 Mozart - Piano Concerto No. 21 31:46

08 Chopin - Prelude, Op. 28 No. 17 in A major 37:25

09 Debussy - Clair de Lune 40:23

10 Schubert - Moment Musical Op. 94 D.780 N. 1 in C Major 42:56

11 Liszt - Liebesträume (Love Dream) in A-Flat Major 45:58

12 Chopin - Prelude, Op. 28 No. 6 in B minor 50:26

13 Bach - Solo Cello Suite No 6: Prelude 52:32

14 Chopin - Nocturne Op. 15 No. 2 57:09

15 Bach - Suite for Orchestra No. 3 "Air on the G String" 1:00:32

16 Chopin - Nocturne, Op. 27 No. 2 in D Flat major 1:05:01

17 Mozart - Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (II: Andante) 1:09:36

18 Chopin - Nocturne Op. 9 No. 1 in B Flat minor 1:14:39

19 Beethoven - Fur Elise 1:20:04

20 Schumann - Kinderszenen Op. 15 (I: Von fremden Laendern und Menschen) 1:22:42

21 Beethoven - "Moonlight" Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 27 (I: Adagio sostenuto) 1:24:38

Cornerstone of the Democrat Party platform

Planned Parenthood says its affiliates did 321,384 abortions in the fiscal year that ended on Sept. 30, 2016, according to its newly released 2016-2017 annual report.

In the same report, Planned Parenthood says its affiliates received $543.7 million in payments from our federal government in the year that ended on June 30, 2017. CNS News Jan. 3, 2018

Black women are 6% of the population and have 35% of the abortions. Margaret Sanger started Planned Parenthood and began "The Negro Project."

Thursday, January 04, 2018

18 questions for the FBI from Rep. Jim Jordan

Here is a full list of Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan’s 18 questions for the FBI. See reader’s comments at link below. You’ll learn a lot just reading the questions.  But FBI is stonewalling.

1) Did the FBI pay Christopher Steele, author of the dossier?

2) Was the dossier the basis for securing FISA warrants to spy on Americans? And why won’t the FBI show Congress the FISA application?

3) When did the FBI get the complete dossier and who gave it to them?

4) Did the FBI validate and corroborate the dossier?

5) Did Peter Strzok, Lisa Page, or Bruce Orr work on the FISA application?

6) Why and how often did DOJ lawyer Bruce Orr meet with dossier author Christopher Steele during the 2016 campaign?

7) Why did DOJ lawyer Bruce Orr meet with Fusion GPS founder Glenn Simpson after the election? To get their story straight after their candidate Clinton lost? Or to double down and plan how they were going to go after President-elect Trump?

8) When and how did the FBI learn that DOJ lawyer Bruce Orr’s wife, Nellie Orr, worked for Fusion GPS? And what exactly was Nellie Orr’s role in putting together the dossier?

9) Why did the FBI release text messages between Peter Strzok and Lisa Page? Normally, ongoing investigation is reason not to make such information public.

10) And why did FBI release only 375/10,000+ texts? Were they the best? Worst? Or part of a broader strategy to focus attention away from something else? And when can Americans see the other 96% of texts?

11) Why did Lisa Page leave Mueller probe two weeks before Peter Strzok? This was two weeks before FBI and Special Counsel even knew about the texts.

12) Why did the intelligence community wait two months after the election to brief President-elect Trump on the dossier (January 6, 2017)? Why was James Comey selected to do the briefing?

13) Was the briefing done to “legitimize” the dossier? And who leaked the fact that the briefing was about the dossier?

14) The New York Times reported last week that George Popadopoulos’ loose lips were a catalyst for launching the Russia investigation. Was President-elect Trump briefed on this?

15) Why did Fusion GPS founder Glenn Simpson meet with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya before and after her meeting with Donald Trump Jr.?

16) Why was FBI General Counsel Jim Baker reassigned two weeks ago? Was he the source for the first story on the dossier by David Corn on October 31, 2016? Or was it someone else at the FBI?

17) Why won’t the FBI give Congress the documents it’s requesting?

18) And why would @SenSchumer, leader of the Democrat party, publicly warn President-elect Trump on Jan. 3, 2017 that when you mess with the “intelligence community, they have six ways from Sunday at getting back at you?”

http://dailysignal.com/2018/01/03/conservative-lawmaker-demands-answers-18-questions-russia-fbi/?

Churchill or Trump?

Which of the following things WERE SAID about Trump, and which ones were REFERENCES  to Churchill?

He’s a belligerent bully who would use the military against union strikers.

He’s an outdated throwback to a type of paranoid conservativism that places confrontation over diplomacy.

He’s a racist, an imperialist and a Muslim hater.

He’s a lying self-aggrandizer who claimed to be the lone voice speaking up for making his country strong again when that wasn’t true.

He thought Hitler and Mussolini had their good points.

He’s a war criminal who didn’t care if bombs he ordered to be dropped killed civilians.

He’s a hothead who wants to launch an unprovoked nuclear strike on his enemies.

He was blasted by a major newspaper for “startling the world” with his “outrageous propositions.”

He’s mentally unfit for office, but refuses to step down.

He doesn’t care if brown people starve.

He was described by one prominent politician from another country as being worse than Hitler, Mao or Stalin.

Trick question—all were said about Churchill.  Mike Huckabee newsletter, January 3, 2018